Career Roadmap
Lauren's work combines: Education, Writing, and Teaching / Mentoring
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Saint Henry District High School
Bachelor's Degree
Comparative Psychology
Northern Kentucky University
Graduate Degree
Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
Indiana University-Bloomington
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors:
Bachelor's Degree: Comparative Psychology
Graduate Degree: Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Watched Free Willy at age three. Spent the next 15 years convinced I would be a marine biologist.
2.
Moved from Kentucky to South Carolina to go to college as a marine biology major.
3.
Quickly learned this was a hobby and not a career path for me (terrified to get in the ocean).
4.
Transferred to a school back in KY, majored in Psychology with a concentration in Human Resources.
5.
Pursued HR because the security of a job in business meshed with working with people seemed right.
6.
Felt unfulfilled. Wanted a career where I felt like I was making an impact. Looked into higher ed.
7.
Applied to grad school, moved to Indy, started working as a grad asst. in career development.
8.
Figured out that what I'm meant to do is to help others figure out what they are meant to do.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Family:
Why spend the money and do the work to get a graduate degree when your return on investment will be so minimal? What is higher ed and student affairs? Higher education is broken. You should stay in HR, it's more money and more job security.
How I responded:
One day, while I was considering graduate school, I swiped through Instagram and saw a quote that said, "Don't let the opinions of others drown out your own inner voice." I listened to my inner voice, which told me that I am called to advise and mentor students. So, I applied. Got in. Quit my job in HR. Moved to Indianapolis. Completed the program. And now, over two years later, I'm still here in Indy, working in higher education with that quote framed and hanging in my office.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
When you're at your lowest, it is sometimes really hard to imagine it ever getting better. I promise you it will though. The life that you never thought you could have is somewhere down the road. You just have to get there. You matter.